Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-21
A GREAT VICTORY.
THBTRIUNPH OF CHRISTIANITY OVER THE
WORLD.
An Eloquent Sermon Preached st tbs Cathedral Last
Evening by a Baltimore Divine in the
Cause Of Charity.


Cathedral last evening to listen to a ser
mon preached in the cause of charity by
Rev. Father John S. Foley, ID. d., OF st.
Martins Church, Baltimore, Md, which
was delivered under the auspices of the
Conference OF st. Vincent de Paul. The
reverend gestleman's theme was the
Triumph of Christianity over the World.
The great mission of the Eternal Son OF
God coming down from heaven, said he,
was TO save the world. He came that men
might be redeemed and saved from eternal
death, and how well the Most High
accomplished His mission has been demon
strated during these 1900 years. There is
10 fact more calculated to excite the admi-
ration and awe than the grand triumph OF
Christianity over the world, and when we
look at the great and grand work We are
compelled TO acknowledge the hand of
God.
For 1000 years men had plunged blind
" into every excess of idOlatry and there
was no passion SC vile but was repre-
sented by q false god, while the greatest
heroes became slaves OF these passions,
Then Jesus Christ came down into the.
world and began the work of overthrow
ing PaganiSm. He did not summon armies
to do it either. The ways of God are diff
ferent from those of man. He called
around him twelve poor, ignorant children
of Galilee, instilled into their hearts the
divine truths which had been taught Him
by His Father, aud began the wal against
| the world, and when Tor His work He laid
down His life He gave His apostles a di-
vine commission like that He had come
| Himself to perform, and on the Day of
Pentecost tue Holy Spirit descended aud
the fear of the apostles NJ the death OF their
master was changed into JOY. Then was
the commencement of a victory and trl-
umph over Paganism. The apOS-
ties had received the d.
vine commission, and though
they were opposed by the priests OF the
Pharisees and publicans, and the world
ScOffe4 at them, they still continued the
war, and beat down the barriers placed
before them. The history of Peters teach
ing is but "A repetition of the Day of Pente-
cost. But strong aS the opposition was in
Jerusalem, Rome went to further eN-
tremeS. In their anxiety To crush out the
new religion they summoned 10 their help
the civil government. Its followers were
seized, and the Roman empire tried by
brute force 10 crush out Christianity. For
three hundred years the work went on,
and the followers of Jesus were compelled
TO seek refuge in the bowels Of the earth
where they could commune with God.
But after three hundred years Pa%anism
was broken down, and the abolition Of vile
gods was witnessed. This was the first
great triumph OF Gods work, and where
Pagan temples had Standardization churches
Were erected.
The reverend gentleman then went on
to speak OF the various epOchs OF opposi-
ton to Christianity. How, following the
victory over Paganism, HereSy had reared
its head in an effort to overcome the vic
tory, and of the long, weary war and final
victory over that. Then followed perSeeu-
ton after persecution, OF form upon form
until the sixteenth century brought an
avalanche. aud the last days of Christianity
We're proclaimed.
This WIS the inception of individual re-
ligion, when in~dividualism WAS substl-
tuted for authority ANA you could believe
what part of the Bible suited you aud dis
card the balance. Following this
doctrine, nation after nation Tel!
oil from the Church and 1t
seemed Us if Christianity must fall. But
when victory came again it was only a
greater triumph. The same power that
had carried it through SO many oppositiOns
- ,..-,.ut,,r- ,,r~ ,p, tn it, nil aud
made Christianity again triumphant. And
then he came on down to the nineteenth
century when Reason waScnthrOned where
God had reigned, aud so It has gone from
day To day down to our own times, when
many attempts have been made to erect
| other thrones in the stead Of Christianity.
lie then spoke ofanOther and more i'm
portant triumph, the triumph of Christi
anity over self. Mans intellect cannot
stand alone, and II intel
lect cannot withstand the Oppo-
sition of others without support; that
support must be the divine, supernatural
and iniallible authority given by Jesus
Christ through the Church. Man has
three great evils To fight against, the
world, Satan, and his passions. Christi
anity is the only thing TO fight them with.
He then compared the spirit of the world
in its many phases to the spirit of Christi
anity, closing with an eloquent appeal to
his hearers i'll behalf of the object of the
lecture-charity, speaking of the great
development of the charities of Jesus
Christ from the beginning of the church
down to the present day, and that We
should by every means in our power aid
an institution OF charity.
\ collection was taken at the close of
the sermon and the contributions were
liberal.
NnI- r,n Sayp money Inv huVinp yOur